Adjustable guard-rail.



J. SMOTER.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD RAIL. APPLICATION FILED AUG.I9. 1915.

JOHN SMOTER, OF CONEMAUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD-RAIL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Application filed August 19, 1915. Serial No. 46,332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SMo'rER, subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Conemaugh, in the countyof Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Guard-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in adjustable guard rails.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a guard rail provided with an anti-frictionbearing surface and position:

able in adjusted relation respecting a rail-- way rail.

A further object of the device is the provision of a guard rail for railway tracks, the same being provided with an antifriction ball carried bearing surface adjacent the path of travel of the vehicles upon the railway track.

A still further object is the provision of a guard rail for the wheels ofv rolling stock, the same being adjustable laterally of the roadbed and positioned adjacent and longitudinally inwardly of the track rails.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like-designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a railwa rail operatively positioned upon the roa bed and provided with the present device. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is asectional view taken upon line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, a railroad rail 10 is illustrated secured upon the ties 11 by means of spikes 12 in 'substantially the usual manner. The said rail 10 has an extended inner base flange 13 which is provided with transverse dove-tailed slots %4 suitably spaced apart upon its upper surace.

A guard rail 15 is provided in connection with the railway rail 10 and is herein illustrated formed substantially triangular in cross section and having a plurality of laterally extending feet 16 spaced apart equal distances corresponding to the slots 14, it being understood that the said feet 16 project beneath the guard rail 15 in substantially inverted T-shaped formation, so as to be slidably received in dove-tailed relations within the said slots 14. With the guard rail 15 mounted upon the inner rail base flange 13 and with the feet 16 slidably arranged within the slots 14, the said guard rail 15 may be adjusted relatively to the rail 10 and its tread 17 and secured at the desired adjusted position by means of bolts 18 screw-threaded through the feet 16 and engaging the'rail flange 13 as best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The side of the guard rail 15 adjacent the rail 10 is provided with a longitudinal groove 19, slightly spaced from the top of the said guard rail. The back wall of the said groove 19 is'provided with a plurality of angular recesses or sockets 20 each adapted to receive an anti-friction ball 21, While a cover plate 22 fits within the groove 19 and is provided with a plurality of tapered slightly outwardly converging perforations 23 which are all adapted to fit over the balls 21 and retain the same within the rail re cesses 20 although allowing the said balls to freely rotate. The face plate 22 is secured to the rail 15 by means of a plurality of screws 24.

From this'description the complete operation of the device will be at once apparent in that the wheels of the trains traveling upon the tread 17 of the railway rail 10 will be guarded and prevented from leaving the track by means .of contacting the anti-fric tion balls 21 carried by the guard rail 15. It will be understood that while the said guard rail 15 effectively performs its function as a guard for the wheels, it will be seen that the friction of the wheels thereagainst is greatly reduced by reason of the employment of the balls 21 hereinbefore enumerated. The adjustability also of the guard rail 15 by slidably positioning all the feet 16 within the slots 14 allows the said guard rail to be accurately positioned the required distance from the rail tread 17 to accommo date dilferent sizes and forms of traction wheels. It will be understood that the guard rail 15 may take the place of any While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What Iclaim as new is 1. The combination with a railway rail having a laterally extending base flange provided with spaced transverse dove tailed slots upon its upper surface, a guard rail substantially triangular in cross section pro vided with a longitudinal groove upon its lnner face, spaced dove-tailed feet upon the said guard rail slidably positioned within the said dove tailed slots, retaining bolts carried by the said feet, and anti-friction bearing members arranged within the said rail groove.

2. The combination With a railway rail having a laterally extending base flange provided with spaced transverse dove tailed slots upon its upper surface, a guard rail substantially triangular in cross section provided with a longitudinal groove upon its inner face, spaced dove-tailed feet upon the said guard rail slidably positioned within the said dove tailed slots, retaining bolts carried by the said feet, the said guard rail having recesses in the side thereof, antifriction balls positioned within the said recesses, and a cover plate removably seated within the said groove having perforations therethrough corresponding to the said recesses and overlying and being of less diameter than the said balls.

3. An adjustable guard rail substantially triangular in cross section and provided with a longitudinal groove upon one face and adjacent the top thereof, the said groove having spaced angular recesses in the bottom thereof, laterally projecting inverted .T-shaped feet spaced apart upon the bottom of the said rail, a cover plate positioned within the said groove and provided with outwardly tapering perforations therethrough in alinement with the said recesses,

and anti-friction balls freely positioned Within the said recesses and perforations.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN SMOTER. 

